Louisiana Approves State Funds For Religious Schools — But Only If They’re Christian

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is now seeing his educational plan — one that allows vouchers to be used for private schools, even religious schools — come to fruition. After passage in the senate and a rules modification that allowed the bill to pass the House by just two votes, billions of dollars can now be funneled away from public schools that are performing poorly and into private and religious schools in the state.

Rep. Kenneth Havard, R-Jackson, objected to including the Islamic School of Greater New Orleans in a list of schools approved by the education department to accept as many as 38 voucher students. Havard said he wouldn’t support any spending plan that “will fund Islamic teaching.”

“I won’t go back home and explain to my people that I supported this,” he said.

“It’ll be the Church of Scientology next year,” said Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin.

Carter, R-Baton Rouge, said the Islamic school withdrew its request to participate in the voucher program.

“They’re not interested. The system works,” he said.

Religious private schools already use their platform to encourage students and their parents to vote for or against specific issues or consider the faith’s leanings when it comes to picking candidates. Now, not only do they wish to use taxpayer dollars to fund the schools where this occurs, but want to discriminate over which type of religious schools should be able to receive the money?

The law, which passed the House 51 to 49 rather than the 53 votes usually needed to pass legislation, is expected to be challenged in the state’s courts.

I just love that line about the Islamic school withdrawing its application for funding followed by the legislator’s comment, “The system works.”

I’ve said it before and won’t go into it again, but the form of democracy we (used to) enjoy really cannot survive without a strong public school system. These folks are hellbent on creating a theocracy, and it sure as heck ain’t gonna be democratic!

oak-cliff-townie

The only thing the Fundies hate more than a Sinner is Competition.

j-rae

Of course the Loch Ness Monster is real.

The reason that he has never been photographed clearly is the same reason that Big Foot, Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy have never been photographed.